Marvelously hilarious. "The Good Guys" is a breath of fresh air, in a lineup normally filled with pedestrian programming. Differentiates itself incredibly well in time dominated by formulaic police procedurals.

Summer is usually where old shows go to die, or worse, where ghosts of dead shows (*wink*...Three Rivers...*wink*) haunt and taunt fans. However, it's also a place where unique and quirky shows like this are given a fair chance to survive, unless of course their on Fox, but more on that later.

While on first glace, one might figure "The Good Guys" quite similar to other, now deceased, slightly comedic cop show, the most recent being "The Unusuals", after about 15 min with Bradley Whitford, this is clearly a different animal. While at times the constant flashbacks can be a bit jarring, they're usually used to facilitate a joke, or to provide a different perspective on a situation, much like when you recount a personal story to friends. The plots are often outlandish and over the top, but not so much so that it becomes a joke unto itself. But nevertheless, it quite effectively combines old world and new world approaches, both in police work and in producing cop show.

As for the casting, I couldn't have picked more appropriate talent for these characters, and these are indeed characters. Whitford brings back a comedic undertone reminiscent of his tenure as Josh Lyman on "The West Wing." Coupled with Colin Hanks, who hasn't been principal since his time on "Roswell", provides an effective foil that is used to draw parallels and, from time to time, poke fun at 70s and early 80s cop shows. Even though Hanks still has a long way to go to match the skill of Whitford, this pairing should provide the perfect environment for cultivating some interesting talent. It's also good to see Jenny Wade moving out of her indie motion picture area. Whether she ends up replacing Sarah Paulson as the non-stereotypical bombshell blonde, or even perhaps surpassing her to become a diverse silver screen heavyweight, even by the third episode she has yet to be given the chance to flex her dramatic muscles.

All in all, "The Good Guys" is a good start to the summer lineup, and even more surprising coming from Fox. This also adds another show to Matt Nix's resume, a worthy followup to "Burn Notice". Although unless the American audience can identify with his production, his creation will be exiled to a footnote in television history.

Lemme make my strongest case he can for Fox's new cop show, The Good Guys.

Despite a terrible marketing campaign for The Good Guys (formerly known as Jack & Dan, then known as Code Five Eight) I had been so super excited for this show for both the casting and the way they hyped up Bradley Whitford's moustache. I don't know what it was about the 'stache that grabbed me - it was hypnotic. When the show made it to air, it was even more intense, the way the show blew by I had to lean in to make sure I didn't miss a trick.

They set quite a precedent in breakneck storytelling with the pilot, leading me to think that maintaining the pace and density of the show is going to be a serious challenge. The pilot almost seemed like it was a two or even three hour episode crammed into 46 minutes. The plot was practically moving in three dimensions with subplots flying back in time, across town, and then back to the here & now, making like 6 things happen in the space of 2 minutes. It does all this without being crowded though. Things were just...efficient.

The essence of the show is two Dallas cops enduring an open-ended punishment by being constantly saddled with inane routine investigations and mundane calls. Detective Stark (Bradley Whitford) is being punished for being a drunken mess (and the prototype for policing from an age long past), while Detective Bailey (Colin Hanks) is being made to suffer for being an incorrigible smart-ass. These frivolous cases are likely to blossom into something larger and more sinister (while still remaining funny).

For instance, the pilot begins with a clumsy break-in where the hapless thief only manages to abscond with a humidifier which he takes back to the pawn shop he operates. Elsewhere in Dallas, a Mexican drug mule decides to turn on his boss and makes off with a whole pile of money and drugs and heads straight to the plastic surgeon to get cut to look like Erik Estrada. During the procedure, a freak accident causes the operating room to explode, killing the drug mule and his henchmen which leads the plastic surgeon to call his friend, the hapless criminal from the pawn shop to dispose of the bodies.

Meanwhile Detectives Stark and Bailey are called in to investigate the humidifier case which leads them to the local pawn shop (yes, the thief's pawn shop). Unbeknownst to everyone, the drug kingpin who was stiffed by his mule has sent in his number 2 assassin to recover his money and drugs, with the hitman kidnapping the plastic surgeon who then spills his guts about the pawn shop guy, which leads him to the pawn shop and a gun battle with the detectives. Even more unbeknownst to everyone, it turns out that the traitorous drug mule didn't die in that freak accident and is still out for his money, looking less like Erik Estrada and more like a guy who was blown up and left for dead in a car for a few days. I think all of this only brings us to the halfway mark and there are still plenty of twists to come.

I'm sure there's a high degree of skepticism (or Cynicism? Booyah!) at what a cop show at Fox of all places has offer that people haven't already seen. But there's a few twists in The Good Guys' presentation to help it stand apart from the herd. One of them being that it is stuff we've all seen before...back in the 70's. The retro look and style of the narrative seem to be in the spirit of Starsky & Hutch, yet not the least bit straight faced and completely self-aware. This kind of self-awareness is further demonstrated through some of the uncanny connections the actors have with the world outside the show. As a believer in the nature of pop-culture being a living, breathing and ever-expanding entity, I love this kind of interconnected stuff. Here's a few examples:

When Detective Dan Stark (Bradley Whitford) first lays eyes on the Camaro I can only hope will be making a return appearance, on comes Billy Squire's The Stroke, much like when Billy Madison rolls up for his first day back in high school in his almost identical Camaro. And who played the bad guy in Billy Madison? None other than future West Wing star Bradley Whitford.

As Detective Jack Bailey (Colin Hanks) is introduced to us, it becomes clear that he is a smartalec knowitall by the numbers cop, much in the same vein of Detective Joe Friday from Dragnet. And who played Joe Friday's partner in the feature film? The Man With One Red Shoe himself, Tom Hanks.

And who should they choose as their guest star? Nia Vardalos, who rose to fame after writing and starring in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. And who was that film financed by? Colin Hanks' stepmother, Rita Wilson.

What does all that mean? Absolutely nothing. It certainly has no bearing on the show itself, it's just really strange.

The Good Guys begins its first season run this Monday night on Global - that's Fox to my American cousins.

this show is awesome. crazy cops, guns and humor, could there be anything more fun?

the first episode already got me. i predict this show will have an awesome long life. especially with these talented cast. the story lines are awesome, i love it how they show where they are and then rewind on how they got there. Detective Dan is just hilarious, he's like a stupid big kid with a gun and a badge. although he has moments of wisdom, all his actions just causes a domino effect till the bad guys get cornered! Detective Jack tries to be the responsible one but is always sucked in with Dan, serious humor, very funny. and ADA Liz, i miss this actress, i first saw her from Reaper, and i thought she was a pretty decent actress especially with her cute smile and curvy gluteals. hehe.

The Good..Fun Show

It's a fun show to watch. You just have to sit down and just watch. You don't have to think or expect more than action and funny parts from it. It might become boring after a while but for now it's a fun show to watch over the "summer" ( it's winter here ), just relax, clear your mind and enjoy it.

Bradley Withford as an old school cop is hilarious. Yes, the character might be stupid and incredible...like screaming at the computer for help because he don't know how to use one...it was stupid, but it also was hilarious.

Colin Hanks as a smartass by the book cop is kinda boring, and I really don't care much about his character...it's not really the type of show to care. If he's not funny or a badass...or a chick I just...don't care. But I guess he contribute to the show by expecting something from Dan ( Withford )he doesn't know how to do...like tracking him down with the signal of an ancle monitor...that lead to Withford screaming and kicking the laptop.

Both are in charge of small crimes that will lead to bigger crimes. Like from a broken window they find stolen cars.

The way to show the story, from different points of view in a flashback seems to be working, but I don't know if it will last long.

Sadly I don't expect another season...I don't think it will last longer than a season on fox. I don't know why Matt Nix didn't pitch it to USA, I think it's a great show to air next to Psych and he's working on Burn Notice there.

An action/comedy "buddy" cop show set in Dallas.

I really did not like the pilot but I decided to give it another chance, and so far I've enjoyed the subsequent episodes. It is a lighthearted, fun and entertaining show that manages to do a pretty good job of balancing action and comedy. Most of the bad guys in the show are well written/acted and come off as a fun balance between despicable and humorous. Bradley Whitford's character Dan Stark is a little bit over the top sometimes but for the most part he does an excellent job with the role. Also Matt Nix (show creator) has a certain flair for explosions and incorporating muscle cars that I always enjoy.

This show is hilarious. Painfully hilarious.

We are in our 60's and haven't laughed this hard since Frazier. Thanks to our PVR, we can pause to recover our breath between gags. Can't imagine how anyone could watch this straight on. There's no way we would have caught all three "nurse's outfit" gags in last week's episode without the PVR.

Whitford delivers the jokes with aplomb and Hanks is an excellent straight man.

The humor is not as sophisticated as Frazier, and it can be a little childish at times but it has enough good ones to carry the show.

Of the shows we like the most (Burn Notice, Good Wife, Boardwalk Empire) we like The Good Guys the best.

Very good show, cut short on its way to being great.

The Good Guys is fast-paced, funny, and very self-aware (although it might have benefited from a more interesting name). It knows its strengths and it always plays to them. Aside from the occasional romance drama between Jack and Liz, nothing gets in the way of the comedy on this show. It's a satire of buddy cop shows, particularly those from the 70's. The "loose cannon" cowboy cop archetype is brilliantly subverted with the barely functional Dan Stark. At the same time however, it is also reconstructed. Although the viewer is made to sympathize with those who disapprove of his not-exactly-by-the-book methods, we also see that he eventually gets the job done... usually... in a roundabout way. The guest parts in each episode are always hilarious and have real, developed personalities rather than being treated like throw-away's by the writers. Also, having the partners work in property crimes and be regarded with so little respect by everyone else keeps things fresh.

Around halfway through the season, I decided I really only had two complaints about The Good Guys:
1) Not enough funny parts for women.
2) Though I love when Jack argues with him, I felt it would be nice to have a character who really admired Dan and thought he was like the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Then they introduced Sam, a socially awkward female lab tech who always jumps at the chance to help Dan even if it puts her job at risk.

This show was getting better with every episode and it's a shame it wasn't given time to grow.

Incredibly hilarious!

This show was incredibly hilarious! I think that it was the funniest show on FOX. They made a big mistake in cancelling it. Anyway, I liked this show because it was funny from the beginning to the end and for an hour long show, that's quite a long time. What I liked the most about it was that there was nothing really inappropriate about it ( which might be why it got cancelled in the first place), and that the characters were really funny,( Especially Dan). I hope that this show gets picked up by another network because it is too funny to get rid of.

Just good fun.

This is one of the most entertaining shows on TV. It runs the gamut from chuckles to belly laughs. It's well written and the actors are great. Bradley Whitford is hilarious and Jenny Wade could just stand there for an hour and I'd watch. Too bad it never really got a good shot in a good time slot. Hope Fox finds some way to keep it on, even as a summer show (where it actually had better ratings than the Fox Friday night death slots). Fox has had some good shows on Friday nights that never found an audience.

Bomba

Tha Good Guys

I loved it!!! I'm so sick of you all pulling something someone besides teenagers want to watch. There are more of us baby boomers want to see besides if some can dance or sing. Hows the other shows doing for you?

I absolutely LOVE this show! I've been watching the first/last season and it is hillarious! Please bring it back!

Soooo funny! Please bring it back! I love, love, love this show! Dan Stark is one heck of a character, why is it that good shows like this always seem to get the shaft? I started watching this show in October and have loved every minute of it. Now I watch it whenever I am exercising, I don't care how many times I watch an episode, they are still funny every time! My husband is now a huge fan too, I don't think it got the publicity that it should have, I just happened to find it when clicking through the channels one night and laugh my butt off, I haven't laughed that hard at a tv show in a long time! Get it together people, and bring this show back.

Orange County meets Sunset strip

I just re watched Orange County today and remembered why I so enjoy Colin Hanks straight man humor. He is the perfect foil for Bradly Whitford's character in this buddy/cop show. Having grown up in the 70s I can also appreciate the sound-track and the cars. Recently while I was sitting in the Animal Hospital with my dog an old man was watching the TV and making commentary to his son. He said "There is a fricken cop show for every town in the US of A". I started laughing but realized he was probably right, but this show uses Texas as an additional character not just a backdrop. Thanks for a well written comedy in a year otherwise overridden with reality TV.

Somethings are too good to last...

I loved this show for the short time it was on...
putting it on a Friday made is totally forgettabl to watch but when it was on mOndays i could get thru school well enough.

The Old guy was charming and lovable, the young guy was endearing- HELL i even liked the crooks most of the time!!!

I am sad to see it's ending but will buy eps...DAMN! how can the Office continue with Steve Carrel gone and Bones drag on pointlessly for a lustless, mystery-less 6th season but this little gem is swept under the rug like a diamond ring in the messy diaster that is a livingroom of life....

A great show that ended to soon.

The Good Guys is about two detectives Jack Bailey and Dan Stark who are stuck in small crimes, though this often lead them into bigger cases and even bigger trouble. Jack Bailey is a cop who follows the rules but has an annoying habit of making enemies and Dan Stark is an unpredictable old-school cop whose heroic rescue of the Governor's son keeps him employed. Their only ally is ADA Liz Traynor who must balance chastising them with standing up for them to their boss Lieutenant Ana Ruiz. I really enjoyed this show and was sad to see it go. I was hoping that it would at least stay on as a summer show. I enjoyed the partnership between Dan and Jack, the comedy of the show and the antics of Dan.

Filmed in Dallas but not by local residents.

The Good Guys is a fun cop show that takes place in Dallas Texas. The only problem is that the production crew doesn't know much about Dallas or Texas. Like why is the Dallas Police Department in Fair Park? And no one from Texas says says Houston like House-ton: it's Hue - ston. This isn't Manhatan. This is relevant since the "Dan Stark" character is depicted as a long time Dallas resident. There are other problems that I won't go into.

Leaving that aside the show does a good job of bringing back the misfit copy show. The thanks for this goes largely to Bradley Whitford and his ability to "Go All In" with his character portrayal of "Dan Stark". The over arching and recurring theme is Dan convinces his partner "Jack Bailey" (played by Colin Banks) to break some rule or look the other way in order to save the day. The the episode ends with the police captain simultaneously admonishing and praising the two for their actions. If the writers can keep from repeatedly falling in to this trap then the series may have a future.

Repetitive

I liked the first episodes, but after five or six I couldn't think of this show with any other word: repetitive.
All procedural are repetitive, and in my opinion, the success of a procedural show depends on the cast more than on the formula. In this case I've grown tired of both.

The formula is tiresome, there's always a small crime, these code 58 which every single time are tied to something much bigger (with a nice shoot-out to boot). This way the story-lines are too predictable ( even for a procedural ).

The cast: Dan was kind of funny for a while, then like the rest of the show got stale. Jack is just a whiner and I don't think he's the best character to bring out the funny of Dan ( I like the 'stache, BTW). Liz is the biggest problem of the show: her "relationship" with Jack is so predictable that's not interesting. The captain is almost useless.

I don't intend to keep watching if the story-lines somehow improve. Being a show from the creator of Burn Notice (which is probably repetitive, but in a good way and has a least an interesting overall story) I expected something better.

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